In our previous article, I mentioned the importance of working on projects for beginners to advance their mastery of the React framework.
Here are 12 project ideas for students learning React:
1. A task manager app
This allows users to create and track tasks, set deadlines, and organize them into different categories. This project can be implemented using React, React Hooks for state management, and CSS for styling. To create tasks, students can use the useState hook to store the list of tasks in the component’s state and render an input field where users can enter their task description. To set deadlines, students can use the DatePicker component from the react-datepicker library to allow users to select a date for their task.
2. A note-taking app
This will allow users to create, edit and organize their notes into different notebooks. This project can be implemented using React and a database (such as Firebase) or the browser’s localStorage to store note data. To create notes, students can use the useState hook to store the list of notes in the component’s state and render a form where users can enter the title and content of their notes. To edit notes, students can use the useState hook to store the selected note in the component’s state and render a form where users can edit the note’s title and content. To organize notes into notebooks, students can use the useState hook to store the list of notebooks in the component’s state and render a dropdown menu where users can select the notebook for their note.
3. A recipe app
A recipe app allows users to search for recipes and save their favorites. To build this app, you can use the Spoonacular API to fetch recipe data. You can then create a Recipe component representing a single recipe and a RecipeList component containing a list of Recipe components. The Recipe component should accept information about the recipe, such as its name, ingredients, and instructions, and render this information user-friendly. The RecipeList component should accept an array of recipes and render a Recipe component for each. You can also add a search form that allows users to enter a keyword and see a list of matching recipes.
4. Weather app
A weather app shows the current weather for a given location. To build this app, you can use the OpenWeatherMap API to fetch weather data for a given location. You can then create a Weather component that accepts a location and displays the current temperature, humidity, and other relevant information for that location. You can also add a search form that allows users to enter a location and see the current weather for that location.
5. Workout tracker
A workout tracker that allows users to log their workouts, set goals, and track their progress over time. This project can be implemented using React and the browser’s localStorage to store workout data. To log workouts, students can use the useState hook to store the list of exercises in the component’s state and render a form where users can enter the details of their workout. To set goals, students can use the useState hook to store the user’s goals in the component’s state and render a form where users can enter their goals for different workout types. To track progress, students can use the useEffect hook to fetch the workout data from the database and render graphs or charts that show the user’s progress over time.
6. A news app
This allows users to browse articles from various sources and save their favorites for later. This project can be implemented using React and the NewsAPI to fetch news articles. To show the list of articles, students can use the useEffect hook to fetch the data when the component mounts and the Javascript map method to render a list of article items. To allow users to select a source, students can use the useState hook to store the selected source in the component’s state and render a dropdown menu with the available sources. To save an article, students can use the useContext hook and the Context API to create a context for storing and updating the list of favorite articles.
7. A habit tracker app that allows users to track their daily habits, set reminders, and see their progress over time. This project can be implemented using React and a database (such as Firebase) or the browser’s localStorage to store habit data. To track habits, students can use the useState hook to store the list of habits in the component’s state and render a form where users can enter the details of their habits and mark them as complete. To set reminders, students can use the useState hook to store the user’s reminders in the component’s state and render a form where users can select a time and frequency for each habit. To see their progress, students can use the useEffect hook to fetch the habit data from the database and calculate the user’s progress based on the number of times they have completed each habit. To display the progress, students can use the map method to render a list of habit items and show a progress bar or chart for each habit.
8. E-commerce site
An e-commerce site allows users to browse and search for products, add them to a cart, and check out using a dummy payment system. To build this app, you can create a Product component that represents a single product and a ProductList component that contains a list of Product components. The Product component should accept information about the product, such as its name, price, and image, and render it along with a Add to cart button. The ProductList component should accept an array of products and render a Product component for each. You can also create a Cart component that displays the items in the user’s cart and allows them to remove items or check out.
9. Diary (Calendar) app:
A calendar app allows users to view, add, and edit events in a calendar. To build this app, you can create a Calendar component that displays the current month and year and the days of the week. You can then create an Event component representing a single event and an EventList component containing a list of Event components. The Event component should accept information about the event, such as its name, date, and time, and render this information in a user-friendly way. The EventList component should accept an array of events and render an Event component for each. You can also add features such as switching between months and viewing events for specific dates.
10. Budget tracker:
A budget tracker allows users to track their income and expenses and see their budget and spending over time. To build this app, you can create a Transaction component representing a single transaction and a TransactionList component containing a list of Transaction components. The Transaction component should accept information about the transaction, such as its amount, description, and category, and render this information user-friendly. The TransactionList component should accept an array of transactions and render a Transaction component for each. You can also add features such as the ability to filter transactions by category and see a summary of the user’s budget and spending over time using charts and graphs.
11. Book tracker:
A book tracker allows users to track the books they have read, are currently reading, and want to read. To build this app, you can use the Google Books API to fetch book data. You can then create a Book component representing a single book and a BookList component containing a list of Book components. The Book component should accept information about the book, such as its title, author, and cover image, and render this information in a user-friendly way. The BookList component should accept an array of books and render a Book component for each. You can also add features such as the ability to search for books, and categorize books as read, currently reading, or want to read.
12. Portfolio website:
Once you’ve built a couple of these projects, it’s time to build a portfolio website that showcases your work and skills and provides information about yourself. To build this app, you can create a Project component representing a single project and a ProjectList component containing a list of Project components. The Project component should accept information about the project, such as its name, description, and images, and render this information in a user-friendly way. The ProjectList component should accept an array of projects and render a Project component for each. You can also add features such as a personal profile, contact information, and links to social media profiles. You can check out this Web Awwards site for inspiration on what to build.
Remember to start small and build up your skills gradually as you work on these projects. As you become more confident, you can try building more complex and advanced projects. Happy coding!